The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-06-10
The Flood a. 5ohnstown

The heavy rains that began OF Tuesday
ware Euch heavier II Somerset county than
othe. places. and the small streams tina.
empty into the Stonycreek were swollen into
torrents. On Tuesday last tnat stream
was swollen 70 immense proportions, over
flowed banks ard a great amount OF damage
vas done. a number of bridges were
swept away in Somerset county and when
the dood reached JOhnstown it threatened
20 inundate the town. We clip the follow
ing description of the focd at that place,
from the Johnstown Tribune OF Tuesday:
Before noon the roadway leading to
Cambria was flooded, ana for the time be
ing tina rule requiring tickets OF admission
20 the mill yard was abrOgated, that being
the only available route 10 aud from that
borough, and many people taking sdvan-
tage Of it.
There f. vas, IL appears. that the flood
was first felt in this vicinity Between u
and : o'clocE, however, the water began to
food the Seventh Fourth. First, Second
and -hird yards, aud about quarter till l
O'Clock the south sidewalk OF the Kernyille
bridge was carried away. There was then a
depth OF about four teen feet ID the channei,
ana Jbe water ~as stIi rising last.
shorty before ! O'Clock the water began
CON ing down Be dfcTd street TO Nam, rem
deIing the crossings impossible, and at the
same time began to run out Franklin street
iu considerable volume, which vas steadily
augmented until about o'clock, when the
Ecod bsEGa % sG5sIde.
The tremendous volume OF water and lts
burden Of dg,ftwOod. logs, bridges, etc,
swept down upou the JohnstoWn Lumber
Company boom Just south Of town, about
noon. and the boom, which up to that time
mad withstOOd all the assaults made upon il,
broke aud awav the whole mass went,
sweeping. rushing, crushing down the
stream. The advance OF logs in the boom
scattered as they got into the open stream,
ard they doated under Eernville bridge
without doing It any damage.
Then carae one bridge after another,
uCtil the three iaTge ones and several small
ones spoken Of sbov e had all gone by, and
stiu tie Kcruyi..e bridge was not moved,
But presently large mass Of logs, trees,
stUmpS, ana sections Of bridges drilted down
against the structure. the water which was
then surcIng ard heating mp against the
bridge door carried item under it, and
crash went section OF the bridge floor
and c portion OF the iron frame work.
Other timbers buildings, etc, as they were
swept under the bridge, did further damage
20 Z, and for time it seemed as ii the en-
tire structure would be disloged and de-
s-ruyed
The logs from the boom and the drift
wood Of every sort that had gathered in it
kept sweeping down In a consecutive mass
for at least AZ hour and half. There were
beds and baby cradles, barrels, buckets,
chairs. tubs, bundles Of straw. n small hay
stack. ont hoGses, sections or paling fence
aE1 alucz- everything else thst one can
think a. dancing ard tob5'ng on the yellow
food.
Scout la-.-uel: : O'Clock TIE uumh-r OF
io.s srd ether things pass .ng down began
decreasing, and the Hood seemed 70 have
reached IT. highest, TIE water becoming
nearly stationary Then people began 10
have some ground for hope that the worst
gGs over.
''Iu this city cellars without number were
flooded and many houses inundated. Ii Is
impossible to-day to form any correct idea
or the extent OF damage done either here OF
up the Stonycreek- The section OF this city
over which the food spread to any consider
able depth lies below Franklin street
Some parts Of the South Side also suffered
considerably"